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Blood Knot - Fishing Knot

The Blood knot is used to link two lines of the same diameter together. It is often used to make the line on the reel of a fishing rod longer or possibly to add a leader to a line. It is only usable when the two lines are the same size though. If the lines have two different diameters, you should choose the Albright knot as the clinch of the knot is designed so that the smaller line doesn’t slide out of the larger line. The Blood knot is pretty simple to construct, and almost anybody can do it.

Here’s how to make a Blood knot:

Step #1 - First you will want to overlap the two ends of the lines that you are going to use to attach to one another. Remember to make sure that they are the same diameter before you consider using this knot.

Step #1Photo by: Author

Step #2 - Take the tag end of one of the lines and wrap it five or six times around the other. Then take the end and bring it back in between the two lines, tucking it in right underneath the bottom of the wrap you just made.

Step #2Photo by: Author

Step #3 - Do the same with the other line, but when you bring the line back in between the two lines, be sure to come the opposite way of what you did in Step #2. Then, pull the ends tight and allow the knot to constrict. Cut off the excess line so that it doesn’t get tangled, and then you’re done.

Step #3Photo by: Author

This is the way that most people are taught to tie the Blood knot, but there is a quicker method available. Instead of wrapping each line in separate steps, you can wrap both of them together around 10 times total, and then just add a small hole in the middle of the knot. Pass the tag ends of each of the lines through hole and pull tightly like you did in the above method. The results are almost the same, but it is important to note that each side of a knot needs to be symmetrical for it to work. If one is longer than the other, the knot will slip.

The Blood knot is actually a great way to save some money because with it, anglers don’t have to put an entire new line on a reel every time. It can use the same line authority on the reel and just employ a Blood knot to attach a new piece. This can make one roll of fishing line last two or three times as long. The Blood knot also slides through the guides on your fishing rod very easily.